Tara groaned inwardly and looked down at her brightly lit hands. “Does it freak you out?” she asked Colt, watching for his reaction.
To her surprise, he started laughing. At first, she thought maybe he was hysterical. Then he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again, this time with more urgency.
“You are amazing. Everything you can do, it amazes me,” he said between kisses. “My god, I don’t want to stop kissing you.”
“Then don’t stop,” she begged. “Please, Colt, I need…” She started to pull his jacket off his shoulders, but he stepped back.
“As much as I want to continue…” He glanced around. “This isn’t exactly where I want to enjoy our first time together.”
She smiled and nodded in agreement. “Okay.” She took his hand and started walking towards the stairway, only to have him stop her.
“I think we’d better shut that. I’d hate for someone to accidently fall in.” He motioned to the cover.
Sighing, she nodded in agreement and dropped his hand. Shutting the cover was a lot easier than opening it. Not that it had taken her any effort, but she had been so concerned about cobwebs or spiders that she’d gone very slow. With the added light of her skin glowing still, she got the cover back in place quickly.
Besides, what she hadn’t told anyone was that she had to completely concentrate to use her abilities.
Once they were again shadowed in darkness, she took Colt’s hand in hers and followed him back through the maze of rooms until they stepped outside again.
“My place or yours?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Yours,” she answered easily, reaching up on her toes to kiss him. The light from her skin had dissipated finally. “Just as long as we can stop by my place so I can get a change of clothes for work tomorrow.”
He smiled and took her hand in his and started walking back towards Xtina and Mike’s place.
When they reached her place, he stood outside while she grabbed an overnight bag and threw in her clothes and her makeup kit. She stepped back out of her van and climbed into his truck when he opened the passenger door for her.
“It’s going to take some time for me to get used to that,” she said after he climbed in behind the wheel.
“What?” he asked, heading down the driveway.
“You, opening the door for me.”
He glanced over at her. “You’ve never had someone open a car door for you?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve seen it in movies, but…” She smiled. “I like it.”
He smiled over at her. “Then I’ll continue doing it.” He was silent for a moment. “I didn’t plan on this. Being drawn to you,” he added.
She smiled over at him, enjoying the way he was squirming slightly. To her, that was a sign that whatever was between them was more than just sex. But since she’d known him less than a full day, she couldn’t tell him that she too felt something… more. It was as if she had known him longer, as if they were connected, bound together, just like Jess had said.
When Colt parked at the hotel, she waited until he came around and opened her car door for her. Taking his hand, she followed him into the room. For a brief moment, she glanced around the standard hotel room. It was fairly new. She could still smell paint and new carpet, and everything looked fresh.
“Nice,” she said as she set her bag down.
“Yeah, I was surprised myself. Most places I stay in are… well, not this nice,” he said with a shrug.
“Want to talk about this?” she asked, seeing the look in his eyes.
Without saying anything, he moved over to the bed and sat down, then patted the spot next to him. She sat down next to him, taking his hand in hers.
“There’s power here,” she said, looking down at the pulse vibrating from their simple touch. “Power I’ve never felt or seen with anyone else.” She glanced up into his eyes. “I know that I’m possibly just a job to you—”
“No,” he interrupted. “You stopped being a job the moment I kissed you.”
She smiled. “I’m the one who kissed you,” she reminded him, causing him to chuckle.
“There’s more here,” he said, pulling her closer until his mouth was inches from hers. “I just don’t want to screw this up.”
“Then don’t.” She laid her mouth over his. The internal fire she’d felt the first time they’d kissed was back. Flames heated her soul as his hands pushed into her hair, holding her closer as his mouth slanted, taking the kiss deeper.
She couldn’t remember a time that she’d wanted as much as she did now. What she was feeling for Colt was something she’d desired, dreamed about, all of her life.
“Please,” she said, reaching to tug off his jacket. She needed to feel his skin against her own. To have his warmth, his hands, all over her.
He tossed off his jacket and helped her remove her own. He knelt before her and undid her tennis shoes, then toed off his own.
Instead of waiting for him to come back down to her, she stood up and, with her eyes locked on his, pulled his black T-shirt over his head. She let her eyes run over the toned muscles that filled his arms, his chest, and his narrow stomach. She smiled.
“Well?” he asked, getting her attention.
“Yum,” she said with a chuckle. “Very impressive.”
“My turn,” he said, reaching for her shirt. She stood still while he helped her remove her top. She wasn’t embarrassed at what she had or didn’t have. She was proud of her B cups and her toned physique. She knew she was a few pounds too light, thanks to her inconsistent access to money and food, but at least she had enough muscle tone to avoid looking malnourished.
“Beautiful,” he said, stepping back towards her. Her eyes closed when his hand came up to brush the back of his fingers against the curve of her breast. Then his mouth came back over hers.
“Colt,” she moaned moments later when she felt her knees weaken. “Please.”
“Since we’re rushing everything else, in this, I’d like to take our time,” he mumbled against her neck.
Her nails scraped over his shoulders as she tried to keep herself centered and upright. She felt as if she was floating. No, scratch that. This feeling was much better than when she flew. This was as if every ounce of her being was tingling. Like she was anticipating the coming release and knowing that it would be the most exquisite feeling of her life.
She wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as she could. She ran her hands down his sides, trailing her fingertips over every cord, every muscle, while enjoying the smoothness of his skin. When she came to a puckered scar, she glanced down and trailed a fingertip over the white mark.
“One of the reasons I’m no longer in the service,” he said, glancing down at the scar with a slight frown. “It wasn’t as bad as it looks.”
She glanced up at him. “How long ago was that?”
“Three years ago.” He cupped her face and met her eyes. “Then again, it’s been a millennium since I first laid eyes on you.”
This time when he kissed her, she felt his speed and urgency and instantly responded with her own. He backed her up until her knees hit the side of the bed. Then he was lifting her and laying her gently down on the bed. When he covered her with his own body, she wrapped her legs around his hips. She melted as his hands pushed the hem of her panties aside until he brushed his fingers across her skin. Everything else in the world faded into nothingness as light exploded behind her eyes.
“Yes, come for me, Tara,” he begged her smoothly. “More, I need more.” He moved down while he hoisted her hips up until he laid his mouth over her mound, lapping at the skin he’d just caused to vibrate.
She cried out, arched up, while her fingers tangled in his hair. This time when she exploded, she knew that her light was shining, that it burst from her uncontrollably.
“My god,” he groaned as he moved up her body again. She felt him slide into her as her power built up once more. She hadn’t believed she had more to give until she felt him inside her, consuming her, completing her. This. This was more than even she knew there could be.
Looking into Colt’s eyes, she could see her destiny. She could see her future. She could see… everything.
Falling asleep in his arms some hours later after a shower and several more bouts of lovemaking, she began questioning just how they were going to make things work out. For the first time in her life, she believed she was surrounded by her people. Well, maybe not hers, but at least they got her. She didn’t feel like she had to hide who she was. What she was.
She hadn’t yet told them that she was from a different world, but she figured she’d get to that. After all, she had told Colt and he hadn’t freaked. Maybe the others wouldn’t either.
Tomorrow, she told herself. For now, she was going to enjoy the feeling of Colt surrounding her. The feeling of being cherished once more.
As she drifted off with a permanent smile on her lips, she began to dream. In this dream, she was back on the hill that held her castle home. The sun was shining overhead, the birds were singing, and she was happy. Turning in circles, she lifted her arms into the air and tried to fly. Only, she couldn’t. Frowning, she looked down at her bare feet and frowned at the thick chains wrapped around her ankles.
“You can’t show them what you are,” a woman’s voice said from behind her. “They wouldn’t understand.”
Tara turned to see a familiar blonde woman in a white flowing dress walking towards her, her arms stretched out as if waiting for a welcoming embrace.
“What am I?” she asked, looking down at her own matching white dress. The light breeze caused the soft material to billow, making it appear as if she were a ship’s sail, ready at any moment to take flight. But the chains wrapped around her ankles were keeping her grounded.
“You are the chosen.” The woman smiled at her. “You are my second daughter. Destined to rule the stars one day.”
Tara’s eyes narrowed at the woman and for the first time, she realized why she looked so familiar.
“Mother?” she asked, shaking her head. “But you’re dead.”
Her mother smiled and shook her head. “Your father only believes what he was predestined to know.”
“I… don’t understand. Why did you leave me then?” she asked, tears coming to her eyes.
“Because, my daughter, it was not my place.” She tilted her head and looked at her. “You must let your power continue to grow. You must learn to love and trust for you to shine. It is your destiny. Your purpose.”
“Purpose?” she asked, glancing around. “I don’t understand?”
“There are some that would take your power from you. Now that it has grown, they will come for you and your sister as well,” her mother said with a slight frown.
“My… I have a sister?” Tara asked, shaking her head.
Her mother smiled slightly. “Selene. One day, you two are destined to meet. Soon. Your power combined might just be enough.”
“Enough?” She shook her head. “I don’t…” But then the darkness that had consumed everything that she’d loved on her sixteenth birthday started to grow behind her mother. She screamed and reached out, begging for her mother to run. Instead, her mother’s smile grew.
“Soon, I will find you. Look out for me at the last full moon,” she said. Then her figure faded with a flash of white light, just before the darkness would have consumed her.
“No!” Tara called out, jolting herself awake from the dream.
“Easy.” Colt’s deep voice soothed her. “I’m right here.”
“No.” She shook him off, trying to free herself from his hold. “I have to go to her.”
“Who?” Colt asked, after turning on a light by the bed. His eyes searched hers, and she could see the worry in them.
“My mother,” she answered, rolling out of bed to pull on her clothes.
“Hey.” Colt took her arm. “It’s okay, it was just a dream. We can start looking in the morning.”
“No.” Tara sat down on the bed and let him wrap his arms around her. “Something’s coming. I can feel it.” She did. From the moment she woke up, she could feel the darkness hunting her. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against Colt’s chest. He was right. There was nothing she could do now, in the middle of the night.
But there was something hunting her and her sister… She had a sister. She would have to think about that in the morning. Until then, all she could do was hold onto the man she was connected to.
The man she knew that, soon enough, she would grow to love. This too, was her destiny. Just as her mother had said.